We have been anxious for this all week. We have kept the webpage up and the kids have loved watching the progress bar at the top continue towards our goal. Thanks to our AWESOME families we were able to meet our goal!!! We appreciate it so much everybody! Next year we will get organized early, let everyone know dates, and hope to have as many of you as can make it come and do the march with us. Next year I want to make some team shirts for our team and get our friends, ward, and employers involved. It will be fun to watch each year as our team grows. I look forward to the new traditions we can add to it each year. We arrived right at 7 am to turn in our sponsor forms and get our March for babies t-shirt. There was a breakfast provided, and after some food we walked around and started checking out the different vendors. After checking the site map the night before Deke and I knew our number one stop to see was the helicopter. The kids got to sit inside and check everything out while we talked with some of the crew. As we talked to the manager of the flight staff we told her about the boys and that they had been on life flights from Arrowhead hospital to St. Joe's immediately after birth. She told us that here in the valley there are two helicopters that take those routes and that this helicopter is specifically for pregnant moms, babies and children. I looked over at Hunter, Ave and Em sitting inside as she told us that this would have been the helicopter that Ethan and Dylan flew in. Huge wave of emotion. Tears came for both of us as she continued to show us all where the isolette's sit and where the staff sits during the flight to attend to the babies. It was so tender. We had such a very short time with them that to be somewhere they had been made me feel so close to them.
It was really special but so hard. One of those moments where I can't believe that we have actually gone through this. We have had two babies life flighted trying to save their life. I miss my babies. I am so grateful to be living in a time where these things are available though.
Next we headed over where the kids were given a star to put their name on and decorate if they had been in the NICU and come out healthy. The stars were then placed by the finish line. They had told us that they had an angel garden and that we would get to plant flowers in memory of the babies that were lost. I thought that sounded neat. When we got there it was actually just foam flowers which wasn't quite as neat but anything to remember the boys is always special.
Then it was time to head to the start line and get walking...
The kids did great on the walk. The weather was nice, and the company was great. Such a positive, warm feel, a spirit almost. It was so nice to get to meet different families along the way. To talk to other people that understood, to share our stories. It was pretty emotional all day for us to see the kids being pushed in wheelchairs or walking along with the word "survivor" across their backs. Beautiful little people that had made it against all sorts of odds. People walking with pictures and posters of their sweet babies that had been lost. Deke and I couldn't believe how many one and two pounder stories we saw. Most were walking in memory of those precious children but there were a couple of survivor two pounders that we had an opportunity to meet. Incredible little people. With incredible parents. So much love there. I enjoyed seeing all the creative team shirts or outfits that people came up with for their teams. Inspired me for next year. Deke and I also kept looking around and really missing our families. I look forward to getting to hopefully have people walking with us next year. It's just that it has been all of you that have helped us walk through this and shared our journey. From hugging us, helping with kids, taking photos to help us capture those precious short moments, to doing little things all the time to let us know that you think about them too. It means so much.
I loved that Emma slept almost the whole way in the stroller and then when we arrived at the end she said, "I am hungry that was a big walk."
When we got to the finish line everyone was all pumped up. The kids proudly wore their stickers saying that "They did it!" they walked for babies. We even gave one to Mr. Magoo.
Then we found a shady spot on some grass and enjoyed the picnic lunch.
The 2013 March for Babies shirt. We had to raise at least $200 to get one. We were bummed that we only got one and they wouldn't give one to Deke, we had thought that all team members got one. It will be nice to have our own next year.
Another neat but highly emotional part of the day was the mission tent. It was a neat opportunity to get to talk even more with our kids about premature babies and discuss their own stories in the NICU.
Seeing the isolette was again hard. The kids saw the diapers and were amazed....
You can't read it but from left to right below the diapers it says: Full term baby, preemie, micro preemie. Which is what the twins were. The kids kept talking about how tiny it was as I again thought about our own minuscule diapers in their box at home. I don't think unless you actually saw them you could fully understand just how tiny they were. The tiniest little hands and nose and ears and everything you have ever seen. I will always be in awe myself of just how small.
Here's a brief history of some of the major accomplishments during mod's 75 years. I have hope that there will be even more wonderful advances and that more babies may be saved and more methods of helping to "keep them in" will be discovered. So happy to finally be involved with this great foundation. We spent the rest of the afternoon going around the different vendors and talking with people and enjoying the family time. Before we left we let the kids enjoy the bounce houses and as they bounced and giggled I looked over at Deke holding Hudson, his healthy little chubby cheeks drooping and thought I would burst with love. Love for this amazing person that Heavenly Father has blessed me with to walk through this. Without him I would not have made it through, of this I am sure. "Heavenly Father, thank you for Deke" I thought to myself as I have a million times. I pretty much love him more than anything. I love him. Just another neat moment in our life together that we get to share and have. Thank you Heavenly Father. For all of it.
We have talked about doing this walk for years. We have always wanted to get involved with the March of Dimes Foundation. We have had five of our six children be born prematurely. The other day we were out shopping and went to check out. Right at the counter was a stand with pamphlets for the March for babies. I picked one up and saw a story on it about a two pound little boy. As I read the story I looked at the picture and it hit home for me. That has been our reality. Tears came and I looked to Deke who had also been looking at the pamphlet. "It's time" he said and I agreed. It is time to get involved with this wonderful foundation. To meet other parents and families who have lost and been through the difficulties of having babies be born to soon. Time to do our part to help other families through it and to help support the things that will give these babies the best chance of life they can get. To walk in memory of our own two angels Ethan and Dylan. So we are going to walk. This Saturday 4/13 in downtown Phoenix for the March of Dimes. We have set up our website the link is: www.marchforbabies.org/burchfamily go check it out. Anything to support would be appreciated. We walk for them......
